An aerial view of Singleton Campus and the bay opposite

Mr Iwan Williams

Senior Lecturer

Media

iwan.williams@swansea.ac.uk

Fluent Welsh Speaker

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

About

Iwan joined Swansea University as a Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol lecturer in Public Relations and Media in 2013 after twenty years as a communications professional. A fluent Welsh speaker, he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate modules in both English and Welsh, specialising in public relations, sports communications, corporate communications and marketing.

As well as being Wales’ only Welsh-medium PR lecturer, his current area of research interest is the changing dynamic between sports journalists and sporting organisations’ public relations and communications teams.

Prior to entering academia, Iwan was the Head of Media, Brand and e-Democracy at the National Assembly for Wales, and also worked for a number of years as a strategic consultant at the Central Office of Information, the UK government’s marketing and communications agency. During this time, he was seconded to work for the Royal Navy as their recruit marketing director, responsible for developing TV, cinema and digital recruitment campaigns for the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. He has also worked extensively in New Zealand, Australia and the US.

Areas Of Expertise

Public relations
Sports journalism
Sports communication and PR
Corporate Communications
Marketing
Welsh-medium PR and communication

Career Highlights

Teaching Interests

Bilingual public relations and communications across a range of platforms - legacy media, digital platforms. Research interest includes sports communications, focusing on the intersection between sports journalism and sports public relations.

Award Highlights

Taught Modules

MS-344 Sports Public Relations

The Sports Public Relations module will offer an advanced level introduction to the role communications play within the sporting arena, and how public relations, advertising, marketing, branding and social media help shape our perceptions of its stars, teams and disciplines. Through a combination of theoretical analyses, practical assignments and dissection of recent and historical case studies, we will explore how communication ensures sport today is as much about business as it is about entertainment for fans. Over the course of the module, students will each develop and implement an authentic multi-media and cross-platform promotional campaign for one of Swansea University's many Sports Societies. A Sports Public Relations Symposium will be held during Week 4, where students will learn about the practical realities of sports public relations practitioners' professional lives. This will also form a part of the module's assessment methodology. In the event that a student cannot attend the symposium, for good reason, they will be directed to a recording of the symposium available via Canvas, and will not therefore be disadvantaged.
MS-355 Professional Sports Communication Placement

Students will spend a minimum of 50 hours on a professional sport communication placement within a local 'host' organization (including, for example, Sport Swansea, Swim Wales, The Ospreys, Swansea City FC). The placement will focus on media and communications work experience and will build on the theoretical knowledge of sports communication and practical sports promotional skills developed during the first two years of the degree programme. All placements will be formally arranged and monitored regularly by staff from Swansea University. The placement will be assessed on the basis of two academic assignments: a CV and application letter and a detailed communications plan mapping out a six-month communications strategy for the host organisation.
MS-356 Extended Professional Sports Communication Placement

Students who have followed the Professional Sports Communication Placement module in TB1 will be able to deepen their understanding and experience of sports communication in this module. During this second semester placement with their host organisation, they will be expected to implement many aspects of the sports communication plan that they had developed for their host organisation during the first semester, as well as evaluating the efficacy of the communications tactics deployed. The operational tempo of this module is the same as first semester module, as students will spend a minimum of 50 hours on a professional sport communication placement with the same host organisation where they were placed in TB1. The placement will deepen students' understanding of the longer-term focus on media and communications work experience and will further build on the practical realities of implementing the theoretical plans devised in the first semester. All placements will be formally arranged and monitored regularly by staff from Swansea University. Students are expected to produce a multi-media portfolio of promotional work that could include videos, promotional writing (media releases, social media posts, journalism articles, ), events, photography, with each item accompanied by contextualising narrative and evaluation methodology and/or results. On completion of the placement, students will produce a reflective critical analysis of the placement.
MS-M10 Dissertation or Project

An innovative practice-based alternative to a Masters dissertation. Students are encouraged to develop projects across more than one area of media practice and to do so with dual supervision that embraces both theory and practice. Work produced should be at a professional level, accompanied by a reflective essay and presentation exploring the contextual, theoretical and practical issues raised by the project.
MS-M13 PR, Branding and Promotion

The PR, Branding and Promotion module provides a critical overview of the role of public relations and branding practice within contemporary society. It examines best practice across a variety of PR disciplines, whilst simultaneously critiquing the impact of PR and its role within industry, consumer culture and the market place of ideas. In addition the module explores the process of brand creation and promotion and considers how organisations develop and protect brands. The module will appeal to those new to PR and branding, but wishing to broaden their understanding of the creative disciplines, whilst also providing experienced students with a strategic stepping-stone to further their ability to apply best practice.
MS-M15 Sports Communication - Journalism and Promotion

This module offers a comprehensive guide to to the practices, techniques and skills used in the sports communication industry. It will allow students to focus on current critical themes and debates in sports journalism and promotion, and through theoretical analysis and the application of theory in practice, will provide students with the opportunity to develop a digital, multi-media portfolio of written work. Students will in turn learn the theories and practices that can be used to develop and promote a personal sports communicator's brand to the relevant industry sectors. The module will appeal to students new to journalism and promotional practice, but who are ambitious to deepen their understanding of best practices that could allow them to engage with the emerging and fast-changing sports communication mediascape.
MSP100R Public Relations: Strategic Communications

Public Relations is a rapidly developing industry, but it remains a challenge for both academics and practitioners to distinguish between those activities which are classed specifically as PR and those that might be determined to be promotion. This introductory module considers definitions of PR and promotion as well as PR theories and history. Providing students with a mixture of theory and practice, the module examines techniques used for PR and promotion and teaches students the fundamentals of creating a promotional campaign. Students will be introduced to specific techniques such as campaign planning, writing a press release and developing creative campaign ideas. Particular emphasis is placed on media relations and the role that PR plays in influencing news agendas and public opinion.
MSS312 Media and Communication Internship

The students will spend a minimum of 50 hours on an internship placement within a local 'host' organization. This may be in any one of a number of commercial or public sector organisations, but the placement will focus on media and communications work experience. All placements will be formally arranged and monitored regularly by staff from Swansea University. The placement will be assessed on the basis of three academic assignments: a CV and application letter, a 2,000 word essay on the role and nature of the creative media and promotional industries and a 1,500 word reflective account and photo diary of the tasks undertaken on the placement in blog format.
MSSW312 Interniaeth y Cyfryngau a Chyfathrebu

Bydd y myfyrwyr yn treulio o leiaf 50 o oriau ar leoliad interniaeth gyda sefydliad 'lletyol' lleol. Gall hyn fod yn unrhyw un o amrywiaeth o sefydliadau yn y sector masnachol neu gyhoeddus, ond bydd y lleoliad yn canolbwyntio ar brofiad gwaith ym maes y cyfryngau a chyfathrebu. Caiff pob lleoliad ei drefnu'n ffurfiol a'i fonitro'n rheolaidd gan staff Prifysgol Abertawe. Asesir y lleoliad ar sail tri aseiniad academaidd: CV a llythyr cais (20%), traethawd 2,000 o eiriau ar rôl a natur y cyfryngau creadigol a'r diwydiannau hyrwyddo (50%) ac adroddiad myfyriol 1,500 o eiriau a dyddiadur ffotograffig, ar ffurf blog, am y tasgau a gwblhawyd yn ystod y lleoliad.
MSW207 Cyfathrebu Digidol

Bydd y modiwl hwn yn cyflwyno myfyrwyr i¿r sgiliau a¿r wybodaeth anghenrheidiol er mwyn datblygu a chyflwyno ymgyrch cysylltiadau cyhoeddus lwyddiannus, gan ddefnyddio cyfres o weithgareddau ymarferol. Er bod pwyslais ymarferol i¿r modiwl, bydd hefyd yn canolbwyntio ar gysylltiadau cyhoeddus ar lefel rheolaeth a strategol, fel bod modd i¿r myfyrwyr ddefnyddio theori er mwyn dyfnhau a chyfoethogi eu gwaith ymarferol. Bydd y gwaith ymarferol yn efelychu naws cwmni ymgynghori cysylltiadau cyhoeddus a bydd cyfle i¿r myfyrwyr brofi¿r swyddi, cyfrifioldebau, strwythurau trefniadol, protocol a¿r cyfarwyddiadau briffio sydd eu hangen ar gyfer creu a rhedeg ymgyrch cysylltiadau cyhoeddus effeithiol.

Mr Iwan Williams

Email address

Welsh language proficiency

About

Areas Of Expertise

Career Highlights

Taught Modules

MS-344 Sports Public Relations

MS-355 Professional Sports Communication Placement

MS-356 Extended Professional Sports Communication Placement

MS-M10 Dissertation or Project

MS-M13 PR, Branding and Promotion

MS-M15 Sports Communication - Journalism and Promotion

MSP100R Public Relations: Strategic Communications

MSS312 Media and Communication Internship

MSSW312 Interniaeth y Cyfryngau a Chyfathrebu

MSW207 Cyfathrebu Digidol